Rudy Martinez Reflections

It is my contention that, primarily due to Cindy’s embellishment of statements to both agencies in Chicago and St. Paul/Minneapolis AUSAs about the quantity of drugs provided to her by me, was the only reason why received a sentence of life.

Prior to testifying at the Chicago trial in January 1992, the DEA and the AUSA of Chicago were well aware of the fact that Cindy did in fact have other suppliers besides myself during 1998 to 1991. In fact one of her main suppliers (Tirso Rengifo) during 1987, 1988, and in 1989! was brought to the attention of the BCA agent Teresa Vandergriff, by Detective Reininger of the Shamburg P.D. in Illinois who were also working with the DEA of Chicago during the Chicago investigation. This is stated in the Vandergriff‘s affidavit signed on January 4, 1991 and used at the Minnesota hearings but NEVER used at the Chicago trial. Kling, should’ve requested that “discovery material” from them! After all, he was a “Professor of Law.”

On December 20, 2005, Cindy Pluff and April Tapa both wrote a letter to me while I was being housed at Allenwood Penitentiary in Pennsylvania, and in their letters they each admit that they told the DEA agents in the AUSA in Chicago about Cindy’s other suppliers during the period of 1987 and 1991, including Tirso Rengifo, and yet the AUSA and the DEA agents let Cindy commit perjury on the stand when she had stated that I was her ONLY supplier…

This is not the first time that Cindy is try to “recant” her previous statements. Back in January 1995, Cindy and Glenna Bolster signed affidavits that the quantity of cocaine distributed to me in the CCE case was incorrect. [See Pluff Affidavit here.]

In 1992 Cindy Pluff received eight years [?] for her cooperation in the Minnesota and Chicago cases and then, sometime during 1993, while serving her federal drug sentence, she was once again called to testify against Pedro Garcia. Cindy found herself yet another opportunity to reduce her sentence even further… a corruption case! Allegedly during her stay at MCC, the male guards were having “consensual sex” with female inmates. Given Cindy’s past as a prostitute, she easily set up guards while wearing a “wire.” And for this honorable deed for the government, she was released in January 1994!

Cindy Pluff served less than three (3) years for her role in both drug conspiracies in St. Paul in Chicago! All the “rats” including every member of the Pluff family, who cooperated, Christopher Evans, Glenna bolster, April Tapa and even Leo Villars, received less than five (5) years for their cooperation. The main supplier in this case, Omar Bulnes, after his plea deal and cooperation, only received a ten (10) year sentence! I am the only one (a first-time nonviolent offender) who was given a mandatory life sentence, and who is obviously still incarcerated, for a quarter century now…

Rudy’s family the first time he met his granddaughter, Juliana (May 2006)

Ask the prosecutors if there was a disparity in sentencing in this case, and I assure you that they will say “no way!”

[Loyalty is] the best virtue to have. Listen, I fucked up! And I know it. I’ve always told my sons that: “we all have choices to make in life, and you must live with the consequences of those choices, be it good or bad…” When you’re right you’re right, and you should always stand your ground when you’re right. But when you’re wrong, you have to be a man/woman enough to admit that you were wrong! You made the conscious choice to sell drugs, and because you got caught and must now answer for your deeds, does not justify you bringing another human being down with you UNDER ANY KIND OF CIRCUMSTANCES! I’ll tell you what; it must be an awful feeling when a person is forced or chooses to compromise his/her “morals”, even for freedom…

I know I come off as very harsh when I talk about those who testified on me, but quite honestly, it’s just venting. I know why I’m here. I’m here because of me, no one else, just me. I’m the only one to blame. I’ve always convinced myself of that fact. I made a conscious choice to venture down the road that was less traveled, and I found out too late why that road is less traveled, and it’s for good reason.

Rudy’s family (July 2009)

I was a young, ambitious, ignorant, arrogant and manipulative person, who thought that working a 40 hour gig was for “suckers.” When I was a youngster and heard, for the very first time, BTO’s hit song: “Taking Care of Business,” there was no way that you could have convinced me that they were singing about playing in a band! They were saying (to me anyway) “get out of there and ‘hustle’ man!” And I’ve always told my sons, “working your ass off 40 hours a week, for a couple hundred dollars may not seem like fun, but it will pay dividends, and it will pay it in FREEDOM!”